APU -WTF

I am incensed about the problems with APU"s...
We have had the Pro heat gen '3s and gen 4's, Rigmaster and Blackrock.
Question...
Why the ##### would I want to drop 8-9K on a APU when the I spend more time getting same unit to operate properly than I do enjoying the benefits of same..
Sorry guys but what really is the life expectancy of a 2 cyl Kholer??
And really when is the last time you felt chilled in your cab when the ambient exceeded 100 Fahrenheit?
Been there and had to start the big motor to get comfortable.
For 8-9K I want to see shrinkage and not for 2 years but 5.
Maybe I am unrealistic in my expectations but I would like the most Bang for the Buck...
Is Onan the only reliable option and if so what is the life expect and why???
Mike

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RE: APU -WTF

Winter time solution, Wabatsco Bunk heater and also a Engine heater. Cost $3K installed. No AC no electric bonus.

Summer I will run day hours sleep in the evenings and use two fans if needed. Some nights will be warm, but at a savings of $6K and not tying up my time off in the shop.

Uses only a half a gallon of diesel for 12 hours for both units. I thought long and hard, figured by the time I ready for a APU Tech. will have improved much further than where it is today, dependability is the biggest complaint I had and what is being posted here.

RE: APU -WTF

Sorry folks for the outburst ##### thing frustrates the crap outta me sometime.
Kraig I agree about the Webasto had 1 back in the day and kept me toasty in the dead of winter problem was had to get up every 4 hrs to charge the batteries lest I be dead in the water.
I understand they are a lot more efficient now and the fan draining the batteries is no longer a problem..
Keep us posted

RE: APU -WTF

I have a carrier and it is a piece of sh*t. At 900 hrs water pump failed. 1500 hrs water pump failed. 1700 hrs ac compressor failed. At 2000 hrs main bearing on generator ceazed.

I haven't talked to anyone who was happy with their apu. Carrier does have good customer service but for 8 grand the thing should at least last a year without problems.

also TriPac - Carrier - ProHeat and the new Onan Apu
are all made by the same manurfacture in Canada regardless of what the sales guy tells you. If it has a Kubota motor and diamond plate covers its a canadian POS.

If I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have bought any one of them. The best solution is an Onan RV generator and a Carrier rooftop AC. thre rooftop acs run about 1k and the generator about 3k

RE: APU -WTF

I've got one each of ProHeat, Willis and Rigmaster. For assorted reasons, I won't be buying another of any of them. I also wouldn't look at Carrier or any of the other ProHeat clones. I also agree the Onan generator and Coleman roof a/c is the way to go. Besides being a better combination you also have far more service centers available considering all the Camping World and high end RV dealers around the country.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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RE: APU -WTF

>I haven't talked to anyone who was happy with their apu.

We are happy with our generator (apu). It's an Onan Quiet Diesel, 7500. We have had no problems with it, except a fuel pump that was cheerfully replaced at no charge under warranty by an Onan dealer on the road. We have 2,900 hours on it now. It has performed flawlessly and has required no attention beyond scheduled maintenance.

RE: APU -WTF

As luck would have it, I stopped by an Onan dealer today to buy air filters. I asked a technician there what the life expectancy of our generator is. He said he has seen generators like ours, that have been properly maintained, with 15,000 hours on them.

In the fifteen months we have been in our truck, we have averaged 193 generator hours per month. Given a 15,000 hour life expectancy (or more), we can expect our generator to last about 6.5 years (or more).

RE: APU -WTF

Regarding your question about feeling chilled in the cab (sleeper) when outside temp is over 100F, the unit will freeze us out of the truck if it is set on high cool; and our sleeper is one of the larger ones you will find on straight trucks (132"). Except to try it and see how it works, we have never run the unit above the low cool setting; even in the hottest of desert days. Some of the credit for that goes to the excellent insulation ARI builds into its sleepers.

RE: APU

Hello I have an Alliance Gen on the Truck I Drive. It needs worked on it constantly. You got to treat these things with (TLC)kidness. They are just machines.
Thats my two cents for what its worth nice chating with ya all
see ya on the ICE and remember no Chains allowed.

RE: APU -WTF

Not really, for three reasons. (1) Prices have gone up since we bought ours. (2) Our HVAC system was built into the sleeper as the sleeper itself was being built. It is hard to know what portion of the sleeper costs are attributable to the generator alone. (3) Depending on the truck type you are talking about, installation costs will vary.

I can tell you in ball park terms, the roof unit cost about $1,000. I did a quick search online to try to find a price for the Onan Quiet Diesel 7500 generator but was unsuccessful. You might want to call an Onan dealer to get a quote for the unit only. That will give you a start.